Ready For The Weekend

Inspired by our Supreme Court nominee I've been studying up on blackout drinking. I can't gauge other people's expectations but apparently blacking out is somewhat common but hardly inevitable among social drinkers (40% of college age drinkers reported a blackout in previous year). What does it mean for Kavanaugh and his claim that he has never blacked out? I don't know.

Blackouts Among Social Drinkers

Most of the research conducted on blackouts during the past 50 years has involved surveys, interviews, and direct observation of middle–aged, primarily male alcoholics, many of whom were hospitalized. Researchers have largely ignored the occurrence of blackouts among young social drinkers, so the idea that blackouts are an unlikely consequence of heavy drinking in nonalcoholics has remained deeply entrenched in both the scientific and popular cultures. Yet there is clear evidence that blackouts do occur among social drinkers. Knight and colleagues (1999) observed that 35 percent of trainees in a large pediatric residency program had experienced at least one blackout. Similarly, Goodwin (1995) reported that 33 percent of the first–year medical students he interviewed acknowledged having had at least one blackout. “They were inexperienced,” he wrote. “They drank too much too quickly, their blood levels rose extremely quickly, and they experienced amnesia” (p. 315). In a study of 2,076 Finnish males, Poikolainen (1982) found that 35 percent of all males surveyed had had at least one blackout in the year before the survey.

As might be expected given the excessive drinking habits of many college students (Wechsler et al. 2002), this population commonly experiences blackouts. White and colleagues (2002c) recently surveyed 772 undergraduates regarding their experiences with blackouts. Respondents who answered yes to the question “Have you ever awoken after a night of drinking not able to remember things that you did or places that you went?” were considered to have experienced blackouts. Fifty–one percent of the students who had ever consumed alcohol reported blacking out at some point in their lives, and 40 percent reported experiencing a blackout in the year before the survey. Of those who had consumed alcohol during the 2 weeks before the survey, 9.4 percent reported blacking out during this period. Students in the study reported that they later learned that they had participated in a wide range of events they did not remember, including such significant activities as vandalism, unprotected intercourse, driving an automobile, and spending money.

During the 2 weeks preceding the survey, an equal percentage of males and females experienced blackouts, despite the fact that males drank significantly more often and more heavily than females. This outcome suggests that at any given level of alcohol consumption, females—a group infrequently studied in the literature on blackouts—are at greater risk than males for experiencing blackouts. The greater tendency of females to black out likely arises, in part, from well–known gender differences in physiological factors that affect alcohol distribution and metabolism, such as body weight, proportion of body fat, and levels of key enzymes. There also is some evidence that females are more susceptible than males to milder forms of alcohol–induced memory impairments, even when given comparable doses of alcohol (Mumenthaler et al. 1999).

Comments

[Miss Marple (the real one)]

The Mrs.
🇺🇸
💋
‏ @Skippeachicky

One thing I've picked up on that I haven't seen anyone else say about #ChristineBlaseyFord is that in her opening statement she says that #BrettKavanaugh covering her mouth is her most traumatic memory. Then during questioning she says it's the laughter. That's a HUGE discrepancy

[Captain Hate]

Link goes to screen cap of the letter Grassley sent to Sessions and Wray. This false accusation might be a felony. It also demonstrates there are still plenty of snakes in the DOJ.

Oh c'mon. Sleepy Jeff is the greatest attorney general ever. That DOJ swamp is barely a mud puddle.

[JimNorCal]

daddy: "And she has beautiful handwriting!"

I've seen that handwriting. Let's go with 'artistic' or ... maybe unique

[Clarice Feldman]

Thanks.

[narciso]

There is at least one nasty troll over there

[Captain Hate]

Saturday Night Lynching. Lorne Michaels has always been a good little apparatchik, ask Elvis Costello.

[Miss Marple (the real one)]

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/energy/ryan-zinke-naval-blockade-is-an-option-for-dealing-with-russia

[hoyden]

Some zinger replies to AA's SNL post.

If you're a ditzy 51- year old female psychologist, they let you do what you want, You can grab Republiican judges by the gavel.

Parodying Ford would be interesting. Her memory lapses are mockable.

And it would be funny if someone asked her: other than Brett Kavanaugh and his friend, has anyone else ever sexually assaulted you.

Ford: Yes. Gorsuch. Alito. Roberts. Thomas.

"They're commenting on the video because they haven't watched. I like commenters who do watch."

I watched it. I even remember the time and the place.

I am Laslo.

Shorter Althouse: “ Have you read Kafka? Laugh riot.”

https://althouse.blogspot.com/2018/09/saturday-night-live-does-fantastic-cold.html

[Extraneus]

Hey square, since you're interested in multiple amps, including a $100K Dumble, you might want to consider a Kemper profiler. Every amp you can imagine, including real Dumbles, easily downloadable for free, plus professional profiles you can purchase cheap.

I have one and it's great. About $2K.

http://kemperamps.com

[Jack is Back!]

Well, the US is trying to do another 1999 Brookline, but it looks they are going to come up short. Picking Tiger and Phil as Captain's picks, and the pairings for the Foursomes, was the deathknell.

[Sandy Daze]

Good morning !

Clarice's Pieces was particularly great this morning because of how Kurt dispelled the doc around the 20% claim etc.

Thank you, Clarice. Bravo Zulu.

[Jack is Back!]

Hey, Sandy!

[Thomas Collins]

JiB, I agree that another concon is a great risk. But if one concludes that sovietization is inexorably occurring without one, it becomes far less of a risk. Think of it as a Flight 93 concon.

[Sandy Daze]

Kurt dispelled the doc around

Obviously auto correct thought better of my comment... I need to remember to check before posting.

M A G A

[Jack is Back!]

Your Latin Phrase of the Day:

Nulla avaritia sine poena est.

[Old Lurker]

Sandy!!!!

[The Infamous Ignatz]

Alyssa Milano cheers on Matt Damon smearing Kavanaugh.
Twitchy reminds the stale little cookie that Damon is the very same guy who defended Louis CK and Casey Affleck who actually did bad things and also knew Harvey Weinstein was a serial sexual assaulter and said nothing because he made lil Matt millions of bucks.

[Old Lurker]

We do not have enough shared beliefs, shared experiences, shared knowledge, shared values, shared world view, shared views of good v evil, to pull off a Constitutional Convention without erasing the good one we already have.

[JM Hanes]

hoyden:

I haven't dropped in on Althouse in quite awhile, but when I do, it's one of the few blogs where I end up reading the comments. The "Gorsuch. Alito. Roberts. Thomas" was definitely LOL material. I thought this later note was also telling:

[Althouse] If you want a comedy sketch that mocks a woman who reports an attempted rape, start your own comedy sketch show. I'm sure it will be a blast.

[Gahrie] There used to be one....it mocked Monica Lewinsky, Linda Tripp and Paula Jones. I don't know if it's still on...it stopped being funny long ago.

People have noted that mothers of sons might object to the new normal, but their sons have also been paying attention to the new standards of proof and are not liking what they see. They are feeling embattled, for good reason. The real war here is the Democrats war on men.

[JM Hanes]

Sandy!

Not only has Clarice written a super column, she's brought you out of the woodwork. What a great day's daze work. So nice to see you. Hope you and yours are all doing well.

[narciso]

Hey Sandy have you been?

[Janet 🚬]

((The real war here is the Democrats war on men.))

Oh my goodness, JM Hanes. AMEN! What a true, TRUE point!

[The Infamous Ignatz]

They have treatments for goiter, right?
Pretty sure George Lucas could afford them.

[Extraneus]

Did you guys see the Grassley letter referring the RI boating rape accuser for criminal prosecution? It includes Kavanaugh's testimony to Senate investigators. Very interesting, and a lot of his public hearing testimony was just about verbatim.

link

[JimNorCal]

Sandy Daze!!

[Janet 🚬]

I hope hundreds of women step up & accuse Matt Damon of sexual assault. Men that claim to be women can also participate.

**BELIEVE WOMEN**
**I BELIEVE SURVIVORS**

The woman accuser will automatically be right.

[The Infamous Ignatz]

Flake and his Dem handlers asked the FBI to look into any "current, credible" accusations.
Sputnik's allegations are not credible [except to the patently insane] and the most likely result of the FBI looking into them would be a criminal referral...of Sputnik and one can dream, her gruesome mouthpiece.
There's is a case that, regardless of the worthless and unconstitutional Sullivan decision, would quite probably result in them being mulcted for millions were Kavanaugh to sue.
[This is where Ben says "Kavanaugh won'r because it's all true" thereby reinforcing in every person who reads him, again, that he is beneath contempt. Saved you the trouble of again proving yourself scum, Ben. You're welcome.]

[Buckeye]

The real war here is the Democrats war on men.

Yep. And "regular guy" is only going to take this crap so long.

[Old Lurker]

Criminal referral? For the gal who stooped to pick up the loose bills that floated out of the truck as the crooks were speeding away from the robbery?

ha ha ha ha

[jimmyk]

To win a defamation case, would Kavanaugh have to prove that her charge is false? In other words, does the burden of proof shift to him to show not only that there's no evidence for Ford's claim, but that it's demonstrably false? I would guess that's impossible for Kavanaugh.

[Thomas Collins]

I believe the literal translation would be: Not any greed is without penalty.

[Old Lurker]

Jimmy, by his own words Kavanaugh wishes her no harm. He knows she is just a tool the Progs used to make their point.

[Extraneus]

NBC CUTS FEED AS ‘SNL’ CREDITS ROLL AND KANYE DELIVERS PRO-TRUMP SPEECH

“They bully me. They bully me backstage and said don’t go out there with that hat on. Okay. I’m going to listen to y’all now.” Then, putting the familiar red hat back on his head, he continued, “Or I’m gonna put my Superman cape on. And that means you can’t tell me what to do.”

West went on to explain why it was so easy, especially in Hollywood, to believe that everyone felt the same way about Trump. “90 percent of news are liberals,” he said. “So it’s easy to make it seem like it’s so, so, so one-sided.”

Halfway through his speech, he sang, “I feel so free.”

West then laid out one of the reasons he thought blacks shouldn’t trust Democrats.

“Blacks weren’t always Democrats,” he explained. “You know it’s like a plan they did, to get the fathers out of the home and put them on welfare. Does anybody know about that? That’s a Democratic plan.”

[DebinGA]

If Ford did suggest online that women falsely accuse Gorsuch and any future R nominees of rape, I hope the FBI proves it true or false.

[pagar, a bacon, ham and sausage supporter]

Great Pieces, Clarice!

Good to see you here this morning, Sandy!

[Extraneus]

I don't trust the Bromwich angle. Those crooked Senators weren't all whining just for a one-week delay. There's a plan afoot that involves Bromwich's allies inside the FBI.

[Buckeye]

Hmmm, appears another drunk just got out of bed.

[JM Hanes]

Two minor thoughts, and then I'll pretty much leave the forensic examination of Ford's testimony to others while we wait for a vote. Some have questioned Ford's claim about remembering the laughter, but to me that is just the kind of oddly distorted memory that might stick with someone who has, in fact, undergone a traumatic experience. I suspect that recalling such an event can be like trying to remember the details of a dream. Of course, that is something that a psychologist or a lawyer like Katz would also know.

And that leads me to what might seem like a minor detail that really struck me in Ford's written statement. Having locked herself in the bathroom, she says:

I waited until I heard Brett and Mark leave the bedroom, laughing and loudly walk down the narrow stairway, pinballing off the walls on the way down.

"Pinballing" sounds like a Comey-style novelists' detail, not the kind of thing that Ford herself would come up with. More than anything else, that one little word spoke volumes to me, about a statement that was massaged every which way, if not market tested, by pros -- and that, in turn, threw the laughter detailing in a different light. I can just hear one of her beach friends exclaiming, that's a great line!

[Jack is Back!]

Ex,

Interesting theory, especially considering how the media are all reporting that there are "limiations" on their investigation because of Trump's direction. The only real limitation to the FBI is "one week".

What I want to see, is that if Kavanaugh is innocent, then let there be perjury raps for the Swetnick's, Rameriz' and other fantasists. If not, then you are encouraging and abetting more in subsequent hearings.

Now, what can they come up with in re: Amy Barrett.

[Dilettante Ignatz]

Yes. A drunk described as 'bouncing off the walls ' is more common in usage.

[The Infamous Ignatz]

--To win a defamation case, would Kavanaugh have to prove that her charge is false?--

Don't know if that's directed at what I said, but I was referring to Swetnick or whatever the name of Avenetti's woman is.

[The Infamous Ignatz]

--Our silly Founders thought they had discovered the critical balance that might stop that nonsense once and for all...--

TJ's tree of liberty quote among many others indicates they knew how tenuous and needful of maintenance what they created would be.

[Dilettante Ignatz]

"needful of maintenance what they created would be..."

As well as safeguards against y'all

[DebinGA]

Ford said her friend Leyland "was downstairs" and couldn't have heard the commotion above. But what explains Ford fleeing with driver unknown, leaving a clueless Leyland behind unaware of the danger? At some point Ford told Leyland her tale, but when? After BK's nomination?

[Dorothy Jane]

I also thought the "pinballing" was suspect. Very rehearsed.

[sbwaters]

We do not have enough shared beliefs, shared experiences, shared knowledge, shared values, shared world view, shared views of good v evil, to pull off a Constitutional Convention without erasing the good one we already have.

Agreed. Schools have erased so many.

[Captain Hate]

Flake on 60 minutes preview says he thought Kavanaugh was starting to get too partisan.

It's over. He wants to be like McCain and just dunk the confirmation.
Posted by: Myriad Jack at September 30, 2018 11:19 AM (u/Uwa)

[Miss Marple (the real one)]

I wonder if famed novelist Ben Rhodes had anything to do with that "piballing" statement.

[Captain Hate]

We do not have enough shared beliefs, shared experiences, shared knowledge, shared values, shared world view, shared views of good v evil, to pull off a Constitutional Convention without erasing the good one we already have.

The good one we have that had Marbury v Madison stuck on it? And the 17th amendment that's helped create the confirmation shit show? And hate crimes and sanctuary cities?

Maybe the good one we have has been made unrecognizable.

[Buckeye]

Maybe Flake can get "lost" on the way to the vote.

[Extraneus]

What an infuriating statement by Flake.

[Thomas Collins]

Kavanaugh in a defamation action would have the burden of proving that the defendant knew that the remarks in question were false, or that the defendant acted with reckless disregard of the truth. Kavanaugh would surely be found to be a public figure and thus held to the higher burden. But Kavanaugh is not suing, and noone is going to jail. The best that can be hoped for is Kavanaugh squeaks through, GOP goes against history and keeps the House (problematic, in my view, although I don't see a blue tsunami in the offing), and GOP picks up a few Senate seats (likely, in my view.

Amy Barrett? If Kavanaugh goes down, Barrett would not make it through the squish jungle.

[JM Hanes]

From Sarah Hoyt (via Insty) on where the war on men ends up:

I’d rather people assumed I’m dumber than men than they assume I’m a lunatic who thinks every man is guilty until proven innocent, and that women are sub-humans incapable of lying. Because the end of this ride you guys are taking us on isn't freedom or equality.  It isn't men cowering and trying to appease you. This ends in men deciding that giving women any rights at all is a bad idea. And allowing women a voice in governance is suicidal.

[boris]

"he thought Kavanaugh was starting to get too partisan"

Flakey view of partisanship:

GOP partisan = man bites dog

Dim partisan = dog bites man

The first is abnormal and unbefitting for a human
The latter is natural and unremarkable.

[Jack is Back!]

Yes, God forbid that Feinstein hiding the sausage, and Spartacus threatening to reveal a confidnetial memo, or Kamuley asking a tricked up non-relevant question, would be considered partisan. Only Kavanaugh, trying to clear his named,and denouncing an obviious smear, and who raised a daughter who wanted to pray for his accuser, is the partisan.

To paraphrase Ray Donovan, where does Kavanaugh go to get back his reputation?

In a Democrat America, nowhere.

[Regressives]

Conservatives and Muslims have something in common..

They prefer the 14th century.

[Miss Marple (the real one)]

This has more on Grassley's referral to DOJ and FBI. I misread the letter this morning; the guy is not a DOJ employee.

I really encourage you guys to read this story. By the way, it IS a felony to lie to the committee or staffers, even if not under oath.

https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/09/29/one-of-kavanaughs-late-accusers-is-referred-for-prosecution-for-lying/?__twitter_impression=true&__twitter_impression=true

[Thomas Collins]

Re Flake: It's clear that the intended squish end game is for Kavanaugh to withdraw this week. I hope Kavanaugh insists on a vote, which would mean either that the Senate would need to vote down the nomination, or that Trump would need to withdraw the nomination. Note that if a vote is not held, vulnerable Senate Dems get off scot free. Thus, it is to GOP's advantage to have a vote, even if it's clear during next week that it's a lost cause.

[Buckeye]

Last Friday we finally got new pavement on our cul-de-sac.

The machine spreading the asphalt was tended by a big guy with a coal shovel. The asphalt in the machine wants to stick to the chute, and his job is to keep it moving.

I would guess that 1 in 20 guys are big enough and strong enough to do that job.

I would guess that 1 in 500 women are.

Dr. Ford, spread your own damn asphalt.

[Miss Marple (the real one)]

Thoomas Collins,

See article I posted just above about Grassley's referral of one accuser to Justice.

I think that things are changing from your scenario, which is based on how things were before Trump came to Washington.

[Thomas Collins]

I hope I'm wrong, MM. Even if Kavanaugh goes down, an indictment would chill the ardor of those willing to lie in the future to bring down a Trump SCOTUS or other federal judge nominee. But many a slip twixt the referral and the indictment.

[jimmyk]

TJ's tree of liberty quote among many others

There's Franklin's "A republic, if you can keep it," of course. But the quote I can't quite place, probably from the Federalist Papers or from someone like Washington or Adams, is something to the effect that no matter how perfect the constitution, survival of the republic requires a degree of moral virtue and good will among the population. Anyone know the quote I have in mind?

[DebinGA]

Lindsey Graham on the warpath!: " ... vowed Sunday to launch a thorough inquiry into Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee to find out whether there was any wrongdoing in how they managed the sexual misconduct allegation Christine Blasey Ford leveled at Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

"We're going to do a wholesale, full scale investigation of what I think was a despicable process to deter it from happening again," Graham said during an interview on ABC News' "This Week."

"The FBI will do a supplemental background investigation, then I'm going to call for an investigation of what happened in this committee. Who betrayed Dr. Ford's trust? Who in Feinstein's office recommended Katz as a lawyer? Why did Ms. Ford not know that the committee was willing to go to California?" Graham continued, referring to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Debra Katz, one of Ford's attorneys who has been involved in Democratic politics in the past."

[jimmyk]

And now there's a new thread.

[Extraneus]

Neither Kavanaugh nor Trump will back down. There will be a vote.

And if the Rs gain seats in November, the squishes and their Dem allies will be outnumbered.

This ain't over, even if the Borking succeeds.

[Thomas Collins]

Re your link to the referral article, MM. The name of RI boat man is redacted, so I can't figure out whether I knew him from my Rhody days. Rhode Island is such a compact state that I might very well know him.

[Miss Marple (the real one)]

https://dailycaller.com/2018/09/30/usa-today-column-kavanaugh-youth-basketball/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=atdailycaller&utm_source=Twitter

"A Friday USA Today column stating that Judge Brett Kavanaugh “should stay off basketball courts for now when kids are around” was re-edited the next day and the original tweet to the column was deleted."

[Old Lurker]

Cap'n "Maybe the good one we have has been made unrecognizable."

That right there is a problem I have mentioned before. To "regular people", the Constitution is what it says, likewise Laws are what they say too, and for that matter the Ten Commandments are clear as well.

Your point about Marbury is that that started us down the Humpty Dumpty slippery slope of "it means just what I choose it to mean- neither more nor less." "The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things. ... Alice was too much puzzled to say anything;"

So now the Constitution might or might not mean what the plain words say, and even if it does, the words only apply to some but not others and only Humpty gets to decide who and not-whom. Ditto laws, which might have meant what the say but now mean only what the last judge in a long line of judges have decided that they say and again, to whom. And the the Ten Commandments used to seem clear and applicable to all, unless you are a priest or a bishop and wish to diddle little boys.

And we "regular people", not knowing which dusty case book changes night to day or back, or what wink a priest can bestow which turns wrong into right and then back again, are left as confused as our ancestors were when the King said "off with their heads" or the high priests said throwing young virgins off high cliffs was for our won good.

[Thomas Collins]

It sounds as if Graham has come to the realization that even if you are not interested in war, war may be interested in you (nonshooting at this point, of course).

[The Infamous Ignatz]

--Flake on 60 minutes preview says he thought Kavanaugh was starting to get too partisan.--

Translation = "he was spending all his time talking about the Dems which means me, Jeffy, no get camera time."

[Extraneus]

NEW

[Thomas Collins]

Can someone help me out with a counting issue? I am hearing references to Flake screwing Kavanaugh? Doesn't Flake need at least one other squish comoadre to delay or derail this nomination?

[jimmyk]

Doesn't Flake need at least one other squish comoadre to delay or derail this nomination?

Please allow me to introduce you to Senator Murkowski.

[Old Lurker]

Jimmy, the link between a well ordered society and shared virtues goes all the way back to Socrates and Plato. It was a huge implicit, foundational assumption among the Founders, almost all of whom uttered words similar to those you quoted.

[Threadkiller]

It really boggles my mind why so many Trump supporters are resistant to the idea Trump and his team of senior military leaders haven't spent countless hours coming up with a strategic plan to drain the Swamp and defeat the Deep State.

It boggles my mind that you still deal in strawmen.

[Polls]

In the last week, the GOP has closed the gap in the FL Senate and Gov races. Hey Dems, keep attacking Kavanaugh...please.
---------

Florida Gov., Senate races too close to call.

Governor's Race
In the race for Governor, Democrat Andrew Gillum leads Republican Ron DeSantis 44% to 43%
[Per RCP Dem was up 4-5 points last week]

Senate Race
45% expressed support for incumbent Democratic Senator Bill Nelson, with 44% expressing support for Republican challenger and current Governor Rick Scott
[Per RCP Dem was up between 3-7 points last week]

Kavanaugh Nomination
45% of Florida voters support the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court, with 32% expressing opposition.

https://www.wctv.tv/content/news/Florida-poll-results-election-senate-governor-race-494951911.html

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/latest_polls/senate/

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/latest_polls/governor/